The Baker Mayfield contract standoff in Tampa is not just a front office headache anymore. With reporter Mike Garafolo flagging a significant gap between what Mayfield wants and what the Buccaneers are willing to offer, trade conversations are no longer hypothetical. Mayfield is coming off a subpar 2024 season, which weakens his leverage, but quarterback-starved franchises do not always wait for perfection. If Tampa cannot get a deal done before week one, the phone lines will get busy fast.
Which NFL teams could trade for Baker Mayfield if Tampa Bay moves on?
The Arizona Cardinals are the name gaining the most traction. Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck are the only quarterbacks under contract in Arizona right now, and Jacoby Brissett is still waiting on a new deal himself. None of those options inspire much confidence for a roster that has invested in genuine offensive weapons. The Cardinals have the picks and the positional talent to make a compelling offer. If Arizona is willing to attach a first-rounder and commit to a Mayfield extension, Tampa Bay would be foolish not to listen.Pittsburgh is a quieter but equally compelling destination. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have auditioned Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and most recently Aaron Rodgers, none of whom delivered a playoff win. Rodgers turned in a solid regular season last year, but Pittsburgh clearly knows it cannot depend on him long-term. The Steelers have consistently resisted rebuilding through the draft at quarterback, preferring proven veterans. Mayfield fits that model. If he thrives in Pittsburgh’s system, it could buy them a legitimate competitive window.Then there are the New York Jets, whose quarterback situation has become an annual crisis. Geno Smith is in the final year of his contract, and whether the Jets finish 7-10 or 10-7, his future there looks uncertain. The bigger issue is that New York has a young group of skill players who have not been properly unlocked yet because the quarterback position keeps failing them. One realistic scenario has the Jets selecting a non-quarterback early in the 2027 draft and then using their 2028 first-round pick to acquire Mayfield from Tampa. It is not ideal for the Buccaneers from a timing standpoint, but it keeps the door open.Right now, the most probable outcome is still Mayfield suiting up for Tampa Bay in 2026 without a new deal in place, playing out the season on his current contract. But that only delays the decision. If the Buccaneers are planning beyond this season, a trade package headlined by a first-round pick might be exactly how they accelerate that rebuild. The longer the contract silence drags on, the more real this becomes.
